


Beginnings

by roselightsaber



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Backstory, Fluff, Gen, M/M, dumb kids fighting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-17
Updated: 2017-01-17
Packaged: 2018-09-18 03:16:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9365642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roselightsaber/pseuds/roselightsaber
Summary: A possible how-they-met.





	

It only takes about three days for the other kids to get scared of Baze. Even some of the older teenagers. He isn’t threatening, exactly, but he is tall, and that’s enough to be imposing; add a scowling face and his habit of maintaining near-wordlessness, and it isn’t hard to tell why others stood clear. It’s about a week in before he _really_ gives them something to be scared of, albeit not without good reason.

He’d spent that whole week with his eye on one other child at the temple – or it felt like he had, felt like he couldn’t focus on anything else. If there’s anything noble at all about Baze, and he isn’t sure there is, it’s a sense of justice. So when he sees who he thinks is a defenseless young trainee being relentlessly bullied, he breaks his usual silence. They’ve been dogging him for days, teasing him for being small, for being nearsighted, for sitting alone, meditating. That boy is strange, but aren’t they all strange? Aren’t they all there to learn as he’s trying to? And isn’t it a sign of strength to protect him if he’s weak rather than to tease him?

Baze doesn’t actually say any of that to them, just walks up to the tall boy that’s repeatedly shoving that odd kid (who, though he’s trying to meditate, seems totally unbothered by the abuse) and punches him in the jaw. There’s an ugly brawl that the elders don’t even bother to break up, but ultimately Baze is left bruised but standing as the other slinks away. Wiping a trail of blood from his nose, he looks over to see that the smaller boy hadn’t so much as budged.

“Why do you let them do that?” He demands at last, flopping down next to him in a cloud of dust and anger. “You can fight, can’t you?”

He doesn’t answer, just turns wide, surprised eyes toward him. Baze notices their cloudy hue for the first time. Not just nearsighted; he’s going blind.

“You–” He looks between the boy and the door where his bully retreated, considering chasing him back down and kicking his ass all over again. “You can still fight, you know. You don’t have to take that.”

The boy’s expression softens. “Ah, I know.” He laughed and put a hand on Baze’s shoulder. “But you seemed to be enjoying yourself.”

Baze stares at him, beyond confused. “I just helped you, you know. You could say thank you or–or–something.”

“I didn’t ask for your help.” He cocks his head. “And I don’t really need it. So should I still thank you?”

“Are you serious?” He rolls his eyes and mutters something obscene. “No wonder they pick on you. What the hell is your problem?”

“And here I thought you were the expert on my problems.” He stretches as if nothing at all has just happened, leaning back to tilt his face peacefully to the sun. “You were quite concerned a minute ago.”

“I’m running out of _concern_.” He wipes at his bloody nose again, yelping in pain when the other’s hand reaches over to feel the damage. “Get your hands off me. Shit, you really are weird.”

This just makes him laugh. “I’m weird? I didn’t just get my face socked in for a stranger.”

“Socked in – He barely hit me! Did you even see him!?” A rush of guilt washes over him when the smaller boy quirks an eyebrow over hazy gray-brown eyes. “ _Oh_  – I didn’t mean–”

He laughs again, heartily, and Baze doesn’t know whether to join in or scream. “You,” He chuckles, patting Baze’s shoulders. “Don’t need to fight for me. It’s good practice, dealing with them.”

Baze thinks it over. “How about I teach you to fight instead? I mean, we’ll have lessons, but I’ll practice with you, extra. Spar with you. So those–” He gestures vaguely towards the door again and makes a face and tries to come up with any words that aren’t vulgar. It seems crude to call them what they deserve in front of this delicate-looking boy. “Those guys won’t give you a hard time.”

He narrows his eyes a little. “Why are you doing this?” He doesn’t sound displeased despite the bluntness of his words.

Baze shrugs. This guy didn’t seem like he’d appreciate being offered a bodyguard, even if he needed one. “We can watch out for each other.”

He thinks it over a moment, then extends a hand to him. “Chirrut Imwe.”

Baze takes it with a laugh. This kid will be trouble; he can feel it. “Baze Malbus.”

“Let’s watch out for each other.”


End file.
